Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
The plan represents the directions and road map for conducting the envi-
ronmental analysis, and once developed, all environmental analysis team
members must be fully aware of the details of the plan. Thus it is incumbent
on the manager of the analysis to share it with each team member, ensure they
are fully aware of what is expected, and each practitioner must commit to ful-
filling the assignment within scope and budget. If they feel this is not possible
they must raise the issue at the outset and not after the time is gone, money
spent, and their section unfinished. One approach in giving this assurance
is to not only provide them with the relevant sections of the scope and plan
but also briefly describe the expected product of their work. Or better yet, ask
each team member to describe what he or she expects to produce including
what questions will be answered. If they cannot do this, they probably do not
understand the scope and plan to successfully implement the scope of work.
One critical aspect of successful management is assigning responsibility for
each work task and subtask in the scope. The environmental analysis team
member assigned the management of the task is responsible for producing a
product that fully satisfies the needs of the analysis, as defined in the scope,
and completing it within schedule and budget. It is also the task manager's
job to identify the resources, including staff, senior technical consultants, soft-
ware, etc. required for the task, but it is the responsibility of the overall envi-
ronmental analysis manager to make them all available to the task manager.
Experience has shown that assigning responsibility for a task is not only
critical for maintaining the schedule and budget, but conveying ownership
to the task manager also fosters a superior product. With ownership comes
dedication; it also encourages creativity. Ownership not only produces a
better product but results in commitment and full productive participation
of the task managers in the interdisciplinary team. Aligning tasks to disci-
plines (e.g., ecology, cultural resources, energy, public health) and assigning
task management to a team member with interest and expertise in the disci-
pline are very useful in fostering ownership. The staff member will not only
be familiar with the technical aspects of the discipline but also care about
its preservation and enhancement, which provides an incentive to ensure it
is fully considered and addressed in the environmental analysis. One way
to convey ownership is to address each discipline as a technical appendix
to the environmental analysis. That way the task manager and discipline
specialist have a distinct element of the analysis within their control. Within
guidelines established at the outset and consistent with the scope, they have
latitude to research, organize, and produce the appendix. They can then
summarize the salient points of the discipline for inclusion in the body of
the environmental analysis document.
9.3.3
Monitoring Progress and Bad News
Establishing a good project plan and having buy-in from the full environ-
mental analysis team are critical to managing the process, but if the progress
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